The Pool Party Sphinx

Maya dragged herself through the front door feeling like a total zombie. Three nights of binge-watching shows until 3 AM will do that to you. The cable bill was gonna be legendary this month.

"You going to Jake's party?" her mom called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah." Maya grabbed her swimsuit from the dryer. The annual end-of-school pool party. Last year, she'd spent the whole time hiding in the bathroom. This year would be different. Probably.

The backyard was already packed when she arrived. Jake's older sister DJing from the porch, plastic cups everywhere, and there he was—Leo, in the pool, water droplets running down his arms like something from a movie. Maya's stomach did that stupid flip thing.

She jumped in, surfacing right next to him. "Hey."

"Maya!" He grinned, pushing wet hair from his eyes. "Perfect timing. We're playing truth or dare. But, like, the cool version."

"Cool version?"

"No boring questions." His friend Chen surfaced beside them. "I dare you to kiss whoever you've been crushing on all year."

The pool went quiet. Someone wolf-whistled. Maya felt her face burning hotter than the sun blazing overhead. This was it—the moment every teen movie warns you about. But instead of some smooth line, her brain went completely blank.

Leo looked at her, then away, then back again. Like he was waiting.

Like he was hoping.

Then Maya's phone buzzed in her waterproof pouch. Her stupid alarm she'd forgotten to turn off—the one labeled SPHINX because ancient riddles were kind of her thing.

Everyone cracked up. The tension broke.

"You're such a dork," Leo said, but he was smiling. "Later, though. After. You know... if you want."

Maya's heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her toes. She'd spent all year overthinking every moment, every glance, every almost-conversation. And sometimes, she was learning, you just have to jump in.

Literally.

"Yeah," she said, treading water beside him as the party noise swelled again. "I want."

Her phone buzzed again with another reminder: What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?

She smiled at Leo. Some riddles you don't need to solve alone.